5 comments about Riding with Rilke: Reflections on Motorcycles and Books.

1. Although there were portions of this book that were good, many of them seemed uninteresting to me. I had hoped it would be a story that provided interesting details of both a bike journey and book collecting. In the end I feel like a got less than I hoped for either. He seems to gloss over many of his actual riding journey but spends a lot of time on details that added nothing to the story for me. Perhaps I am spoiled by Peter Egan.



2. As a reader and rider, I enjoyed this book as a motorcycle travelogue with all its arcane bits of literary data strewn throughout.
   If I have a small complaint it is that Bishop spends too much time in Austin and not exploring more of the places he is terrific at writing about. When we were traveling with him, he made some of those stops come alive and gave the book some fun and substance. When he halted (as he had to in order to do the archive research), so did the cycle action.
   However, with that being said, some of the book's best and most poignant passages are his ruminations on reading and riding - his description on p. 112 about the "readiness of books" has been accurate in my reading life. And the couple of pages (p. 124-6) about silence and listening were memorable.
   So is the line: "I wrote on the bike and I rode in the reading room. I'm sure it's the same in offices everywhere." He's right, of course, as I work while I ride and ride while I work in the form of a quick daydream. Nice to know others have the same feelings.



3. Not a mere travelogue or another bike adventure...Bishop escorts the reader through the very essense of riding in the most spiritual, thoughtful and surprisingly, visceral treat of a book...yes, this little book travels well: I took a ride to New Mexico and there it sat patiently on my nightstands in all the different hotels, motels and inns along the way...then, upon opening the book's pages, it (the book) merrily displayed its well-crafted prose to bring together this joy of riding a motorcycle and the sheer bliss at reading the power and majesty of word after word, woven together into images and concepts of both of these Life-sustaining activities...OK, so it is not for everyone, it is for me and that's what we're talking about here...if you Love either, read it, if you Love both, devour it...if you Love neither, God help you, 'cause you are missing out on Life at its finest and the "Now," the moments...love of riding, love of words, love of Life...another tapestry to bring form and content to our Loves...live on that edge and slip back to write about it...darn, I'm going for a ride now: "four wheel move the body, two wheels move the soul" and I feel the call of the wind...



4. When reading RIDING WITH RILKE it is easy to see that Ted Bishop, a good writer, loves books and Ducati motorcycles but for me this book felt a little flat. There are too many pages about minor characters and minor events that add nothing to the story. The book would be helped if the 261 pages were cut back by a quarter. I too love books and ride a motorcycle, a Harley Road Glide, so it gives me no joy not to rave about the book but still, I would recommend it even if you feel like skipping a few pages.



5. Disclaimer: I have been a librarian for 35 years, and a motorcycle rider for 46 years, so I can hardly claim to be a typical or neutral reviewer of this book. If Amazon permitted 6 stars, I would award them. It is a rare event indeed to find a work that so lovingly deals with both motorcycle riding and books.
   
   Ted Bishop captures vividly the essence of long distance motorcycle riding, including writing in one's head while riding, and the distraction to a writer to riding in one's head while attempting to write (a considerably less dangerous activity). His words took me back to an 11,000-mile ride that I made two years ago, along many of the same roads.
   
   Equally vivid are his characterizations of librarians and archivists who work in special collections, and of the process by which a scholar mines the books and papers in such collections for insights and publications.
   
   Bishop has a keen eye for irony, and I found myself laughing so hard while reading Riding with Rilke on a plane flight that I fear I was creating a disturbance for my fellow passengers.
   
   Riders who aren't especially interested in books may find too little motorcycle content in this book. Scholars and librarians with little interest in motorcycles may find too little about books and literature (and very little, indeed, about Rilke). For those few who are passionate about both motorcycles and books, Riding with Rilke is a rare treat.

5 comments about 6 Chambers, 1 Bullet: A Novel.

1. Its ok but noting like Hells Angel! That one rocked! and was real too!



2. Excellent I am currently rereading the book as I write this review. Top notch carried on where he left off I hope he writes more.



3. This as many as Sonny's books, was a easy read. The book kept you interested from the first page to the last and even though it's supposed to be fiction, one would wonder how much of Sonny's life influences his writing.



4. If you want to know how it is to live the life of a patch holder, read Sonnys' books. He does a great job. I liked the way he used an Independent to stay with his stepson (so to speak) while Patch is in the joint. That tells me that he feels that some of us Bikers are true to the core, even though we don't wear patches. I found this book slow to start,but fast to finish.



5. Highly entertaining and well written. I had a great time reading this one. I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!

5 comments about I Was a Killer for the Hells Angels: The Story of Serge Quesnal.

1. I thought this book would give a better insight into the world of the HA, but I came away disappointed. Quesnel's story is interesting and controversial, but I don't think his story reveals enough details.



2. Not a very good or entertaining book. More of a ramblimg egomaniac's diary. The book did not contain much detail on the events and jumped around way too much. He tries to make himself into a heavy and when it got hot he turned.



3. Very poor insight into the Red and White which is why I bought the book.Comes across as a wannabe who could'nt cut it when the going got tough.



4. A rat is a rat......is a rat. I guess this guy and others like him (see Henry Hill and Sammy the Bull) feel if they can make some money getting average citizens to read about their exploits maybe they can justify (to themselves) their betrayal of their friends and brothers. You'd be wise to save your money and not make these kinds any richer...especially one like this who is short on details when it comes to his association with the Angels. In my opinion he only used their name to help sell the book. Don't bother. Read Sonny's instead.



5. Not such a hot book. I would read other books on the subject.

3 comments about Big Wheelie Books: Motorcycle.

1. Not only is this book filled with colorful pictures to spark any child's imagination, it is also a good size for little hands to carry. It's a perfect book to take along on long trips to keep little minds busy trying to spot like motorcycles on the road. Both of my children loved it - my daughter as well as my son.



2. This book lasted 4 days with my son, age 1. The pages are joined by a very narrow binding so it can be damaged easily. That said, I am back to buy my second book because it is such a great toy/book. This time I am going to reinforce the pages somehow.



3. My 15 month old son loves books, motorcycles and has a facination with wheels. This book has it all!! His face lit up when I gave it to him. It's a perfect size for him to carry around and he has barely put it down yet! He has wheeled it all over the place and it stands up on it's own. I couldn't have asked for a better gift for him. We have "read" it back to back numerous times because he can't get enough. As for someones complaint about the flimsy binding I don't see how it could be sturdier because it does only have a few pages in it. So I will probably have to reinforce it with packing tape if we get to that point. But if your little one loves motorcycles then this is a solid winner.

5 comments about Choppers: Heavy Metal Art.

1. I purchased this book for a friend who is very in to choppers and bikes. He was very pleased at the information & photographs provided. In turn, I too, who knew nothing about this art..have become a fan myself. Great book for collection.



2. If you like to gaze at Motorcycles and admire machinery built by hand. You will enjoy this book. Also good bio's on the guys who build the bikes. Looking forward to the sequel from this author and photographer.



3. Indian Larry's bike is pictured on the cover and I find myself opening up to his bike "Wild Child" and the very words are vividly painted on the belt drive; in fact every bit of the bike exudes a beauty and wild genius -- especially in the details. Both Indian Larry with his busily tattooed body and his bikes are loaded with content and meaning and the picture of him and Paul Cox look like they are on fire speeding along a quiet road on their beautiful unique bikes. It is amazing to have these photos since Indian Larry took the express to Biker Heaven.
   
   I enjoy paging thru the book looking at the different styles. In section 3, Seate has "new blood" and Tom Langton's Gold bike with a seat that says "Pleasure to Burn" almost makes me want to give my old school bike fantasies a rest...Almost!
   
   Billy Lane's bad boy hubless bike that looks like a bit of hell, insanity and chaos that found reason -- a reason to ride. Seate's description of Kendall Johnson's "paint schemes" using phrases like "Felliniesque circus nightmare" are insanely amusing but I found Johnson's work far more exciting featured on Discovery Channel than in this book.
   
   If you don't like paging thru a wide variety of bike themes this isn't for you. If you enjoy a big heavy book both in weight and variety than this is the book for you. I really enjoyed this book! You can return to this book over and over and enjoy something different each time or revisit your favorites. I return to the pages with Indian Larry and I am so glad I got to meet him and see his art in the flesh --- and metal.
   
   
   



4. This appeared verbatim in the magazine THUNDER PRESS.
   
   BTW, Zimberoff's next book (out next spring), a continuation and sequel to ART OF THE CHOPPER is dedictaed to INDIAN LARRY and contains a full chapter of his work, a portrait and his biography plus every other major builder on the planet.
   
   Reviewed by Terry Roorda
   
   QUOTE Dated photos gleaned from the collection of photographer Michael Lichter combine with perfunctory prose by writer Mike Seate to bring us "Choppers: Heavy Metal Art," a shameless effort to cash in on the current chopper craze by using the exact format found in the highly acclaimed and successful "Art of the Chopper" by Tom Zimberoff. That's it in nutshell, folks. The similarities in physical size, style and content between this work and Zimberoff's are striking to say the very least: A fat highly- produced coffee table book that examines a roster of custom bike builders through portraiture, some biographical verbiage and studio photos of some of their creations.
   
   That's where the similarities end. In the execution of that formula, Zimberoff's "Art of the Chopper" is fresh and literate while "Choppers: Heavy Metal Art" is stale and sophomoric. Seate's writing is lackluster at its best and painfully awkward most of the time, reading like the first draft of a work being produced on contract and on deadline. In three of the early vignettes in the book we are informed that "Colorado's Arlin Fatland has what you might call a wicked sense of humor," and that "Pat Kennedy of Tombstone, Arizona, is what you might call seriously old school," and that "Nothing about Kodlin's motorcycles is what you might call tradition- al." These excerpts are what you might call bad writing; the type of tedious template prose so devoid of creativity and enthusiasm for the subject matter that any editor worth the name would kick it back in disgust and demand another go. That's assuming there was an editor involved at all, and judging from the wealth of typos and awkward usages found in this book, there's little reason to believe there was. A truly ironic typo comes early in the going when in Seate's acknowledgments he pens this gem: "to Almetta, for never letting us forget the value of the wirtten word." Yes, folks, it says "wirtten." How's that for value?
   
   Here's some other stuff that made me wince: "Looking like a cross between a scene from a concert by gangsta rappers Insane Clown Posse and a Felliniesque circus nightmare, Johnson's paint schemes grab a viewer's attention and hold it rapt for hours." Hunh? Or how about this stinker: "These self-anointed keepers of the hardtail faith congregate in Internet chat rooms and in the letters pages of custom motorcycle-enthusiast magazines to heap dis and envy on builders who aren't afraid to move the art of the custom motorcycle into the twenty-first century." Ouch.
   
   There's plenty more where those came from. And the tragic thing about it is that Mike Seate is usually a competent and entertaining writer-and probably the most prolific wordsmith in the genre. Therein may lie the problem. This volume represents Seate's fifth book with the word "chopper" in the title, and four of those, including this one, were published in the span of less than a year and a half. Who wouldn't get burned out? The upside of "Choppers: Heavy Metal Art" are the images furnished by renowned biker photographer Michael Lichter, a man with one of the most impressive resumés in the industry. As always, his photos are luminous, and anyone familiar with his work in Easyriders magazine over the past couple of decades will recognize his style, but there's a problem here as well. These photos apparently came straight out of his existing inventory of bike feature shots, and many were taken years ago, going back as far as 1992. When you're making the case for custom bike building being a vibrant and dynamic craft in an exciting period of change, growth and popularity, wouldn't you want the timeliest material you could bring to the premise? Other complaints in this regard are that the names of the featured bikes are not provided, though they're often referred to in the copy, and the sparse technical data given for each consists only of frame style (rigid; Softail- type) and engine style (Panhead; Evolution-type), which are obvious attributes to anyone the least bit familiar with the subject, and of little or no educational value to those who aren't. Those criticisms aside, we have to understand that doing this book right would have taken some time, and clearly the publisher wanted to get into the market before Christmas with a product that would hopefully piggy- back on the success of "Art of the Chopper." That's understandable, if not admirable, from a business stand- point. From a creative standpoint it's disastrous. END QUOTE



5. Sometimes you see a book cover that jumps right out at you and grabs your fullest attention - this is the case for a great book for teenage boys called "Choppers." Well the cover was just the opening to a wonderfully and well written book about custom choppers. These motorcycles are really works of art and the color photos of them are classic!
   
   The authors, Mike Seate and Linda Black McKay, have done a good job of taking us on a visual journey of the mind and spirit with this book. They give the reader plenty of information to make it an educational journey (including a "Chopper Glossary" at the back of the book) yet the reader is always entertained and amused by the text and the color photos.
   
   If you are looking for a gift to give to a young man in your life then this is one book that will actually be read and looked through from beginning to end. It is fascinating and pure "dream candy" looking at what others have done to those two wheel machines. The choice of bikes to display and write about is a perfect balance of art and function. This book is part of a great series of books and like all the books in that series this is not limited to just young men. All male readers will enjoy looking at and reading this book.
   
   I personally recommend this book for all young male readers and those who are still young at heart! Choppers is given The American Authors Association's highest book rating for young readers - FIVE STARS.

3 comments about Motorcycle Journeys Through the American South (Motorcycle Journeys).

1. I was very impressed with this book. It is written in a clear and concise style but with enough wit to keep it interesting. The photos are great and added a lot to the overall appeal. Anyone living in or visiting the South will enjoy this book. It is a great guide to very interesting places that could easily go unnoticed. I think It is a must for motorcyclists but is great for auto trips as well.
   
   Well worth the modest price.



2. Great guideline for riding your motorcycle through the south! Although there are a few obvious errors (such as stating that Birmingham is the capitol of Alabama!), all in all it is an informative read as well as a fun solution to the question, "where is there to ride that would be both close and interesting?" We really enjoyed it and it is well worth the price. We also purchased a copy to give to our motorcycle riding friends!



3. This book is fantastic. This is the second time I have purchased it. My brother saw my first one and took it from me. :)

3 comments about Motorcycle Journeys Through the Rocky Mountains (Motorcycle Journeys).

1. Great pictures. Great descriptions. Makes you want to be there. Recommend it.



2. We took this book with us on a 3 week tour of the rockies. Visited some of the recommended motels and restaurants. Info was great and very accurate. Made the trip much better and easier to plan day to day.



3. First let me say the quality of this is first rate, publishing and writing. However, for someone who lives in Denver and the heart of the Rockies I was very disappointed.
   
   Buy this book if 1.) You do NOT live in or near the Rockies. 2.) You are NOT "savvy" reading recreational atlas maps, AAA Guides, or using the Internet or Google Earth.
   
   I guess I simply had higher expectations for rides in "my backyard". There are only 6 trips in Colorado. Three are based out of Georgetown and three out of Durango. If you live near these areas I guarantee you probably have already ridden these rides. Looking at other areas I have ridden, (Grand Canyon, S. Utah, etc.), most of the rides are common sense easily inferred my looking at a map or if you subscribe to a magazine like "Road Runner" you probably already have the info.
   
   Again, high quality, but "locals" beware. The "Grand Loop" section is great if you a month+ vacation to tour ALL of the Rockies.

4 comments about Philosophical Ridings: Motorcycles and the Meaning of Life.

1. This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. It is very intelectualized. It would probably be great for somebody that is actually studying philosophy at a higher level.



2. ...specifically that part about "philosophy on a higher level" I didn't find any philosophy of a higher level, and the lower level exercises of logic I did find were pretty uninspiring and painfully overly wordy (which is really bad considering how short this book actually is - from a pagecount i mean), but what kind of motorcycling insight can be expected from someone who's first bike was a Ducati Monster?
   
   It's a great read if you want to read endless words explaining why a motorbike rider thinks that speed limit laws are not logically justified, and why motorcyclists shouldn't be forced to wear helmets, but if you seek anything fresh or insightful you won't find it in this read. It's just a whole lot of words explaining some logic behind the simple philosophical concepts.
   
   Uninspiring, endless words, lacking the philisophical insights you'd expect from a book on philosophy, very boring.
   
   I am also reading Peter Egan's book 'leanings' which is kind of the antithesis of this, and although it's not at all a philosophy book, I'm left with the feeling that it contains far greater philosophical depth from a man with genuine experience and insight. But the philosophy is merely suggested and it's set in an entertaining romantic/nostalgic light - like i said...it's the antithesis of this book.



3. Craig Bourne can be very good as a lecturer in philosophy at Cambridge. I can imagine him very well composing the book because he also has a motorcycle but not because he is extremely riding it. The book is like a compilation of observations with philosophical references from Descartes to Wittgenstein and Pirsig while the motorcycle was parked at the side of the road. Among experiences like reading, observing, thinking, and watching movies, I think riding motorcycles is not a prior issue for Bourne. It could be acceptable if the book was not misleading you from the title to the photograph on the cover.



4. Wish I had read these reviews before wasting my $ and time on this pompous academic drivel.

5 comments about 101 Sportbike Performance Projects (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. Here are 101 projects that can and may need to be performed on your SportsBike. These vary from the very simple such as making a pre-ride check to bodywork repair after a less than successful ride. The projects are broken down into seven categories:
   
   General Maintenance
   Brakes
   Wheels and Tires
   Suspension
   Chassis
   Engine
   Crash Protection
   
   Most of the projects take only an hour or two and are well described and well interested. This book is aimed at the beginner. It starts with a description of the most basic tools, and includes useful little hints like marking your most used sockets with a band of red tape to make them easier to find.
   
   Clearly the author knows sportbikes, and further he is able to convey this knowledge to the reader.



2. I read this book cover to cover, and remained interested throughout.
   
   It covers a wide variety of topics - just about everything you want, and a few you don't, including how to straighten a wheel (simple answer - get someone else to do it).
   
   Some of the content isn't explained enough - like what bike to do this on, where to get special tools, etc. Also, the info on fiberglass repair isn't quite correct - you need to fiberglass both sides of the repair, not just the inside as instructed.
   
   All in all, great book, great pictures, well written.



3. Mr. Brasfield has succeded in writing an encyclopedia of 21st-century sportbike technology with both linguistic aplomb and humor. 'Geared' toward the in-line fours, most every project and comment has some application for other configurations as well (like my '00 SuperHawk, e.g.). The mods go way beyond anything I'd fiddle with since: a)I'm 58 and have five machines to tworple with, and; b)the VTR is already too danged fast and hurts my wrists after 30 minutes. Although no substitute for a shop manual (as the author concedes), the tips and photos are most appropriate throughout. Just order it.



4. This is a nice book to complement your owners manual. I've already gotten my money's worth after completing two of the projects: bleeding the brakes and flushing the radiator. While this is basic maintenance, the owners manual doesn't really detail either of these projects (or recommends that you get the dealer to do it, which really isn't necessary because the author does a good job of describing the tasks). I also like that many of the projects are for mods you would make to a "track" bike, like safety wiring and some of the advanced suspension descriptions. Nice book, highly recommended for your library of motorcycle literature.



5. I purchased this book along with Sportbike Performance Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop). This book (101 Sportbike Performance Projects) is a much simpler book but one I find myself going back to time and again. It is full of easy how-tos for things I have been thinking about doing to my bike for ages but didn't really know where to start.
   
   Since reading this book I have had the confidence to completely disassemble my forks and install new springs and valves. I also have a list of things to try next. It is written to cover all sportbikes so will need to be read alongside your bikes specific manual. If you love your bike and have always wanted to muck around on it in the garage on wet days or start improving the handling etc., get this book.

5 comments about Clymer Bmw K1200rs, Gt & Lt 1998-2005 (Clymer Motorcycle Repair) (Clymer Motorcycle Repair).

1. I got this book as gift for my Dad. He loved it, he said it's way better than the CD version.



2. More than satified with the service. Within a week i received the book in Australia and at a great price. It has everything in the book I require to conduct minor service work and is the detail is a great help for the novist motorcycle enthusiast.



3. This is one of those Murphy Law situations. I bought the book hoping to find an answer to an electrical problem. Unfortunately the book doesn't seem to address any 'add-on' electricals, such as radio, gps etc. So, I had to wing it and found the partially disconnected wire the old way, just started moving wires until the break became apparent. Overall, however, it's great to have the book as a reference when I get to actual mechanical and body issues. It's really nice to have a manual available for a BMW, which is quite proprietary in most cases.



4. The Clymer BMW K12 book for 1998-2005 models is a must for owners. The manual will answer in detail most any question about maintenance, toubleshooting and repairs. It is very useful in determining what a non-profrssional can do and what is best left to the professionals at a shop or dealer. The book is detailed and methodical in its approach to periodic maintenace i.e. changing the oil, so the a person with basic skills can accomplish such tasks.



5. 
   A very nicely written manaual that has a lot of information not available in the BMW shop manual, including electrics, and how to do things if you don't own the special tool. Also about 1/4 the price.
   Recommended.